Copper fell on Tuesday as investors continued to fret over the eurozone's finances and prospects for global economic demand, while a rise in Chinese equities briefly lifted Shanghai copper, though it retreated after the benchmark index pared gains. The most-active December copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed down 0.5 percent at 54,210 yuan ($8,538.89) after having risen in earlier trading.
Shanghai's benchmark index closed up just 0.2 percent, despite an early strong advance trade after a unit of China's sovereign wealth fund increased its stakes in the "Big Four" lenders in a sign of government support for the languishing stock market.